Nigerian universities get N20bn technology intervention fund

A joint initiative by three organisations, Samsung Electronics, Diamond Bank and Softcom Limited, is providing a U.S.$100 technology intervention fund for Nigerian universities.

The companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Lagos recently.

The strategic partnership will raise $100 million, approximately N20 billion, to drive education in Nigeria

Student Pulse gathered that the trio will also jointly sponsor the Future Ready University conference, to be hosted by Covenant University, Ota, in July.

The Future Ready University conference is designed to enable other Nigerian universities replicate the mobile learning programme that is already operational at Covenant University.

READ: EduSocial E-learning: Covenant University embraces benefits of technology

Interested universities will also be able to easily procure the solutions and secure fast track bulk financing from Diamond Bank.

Diamond Bank Managing Director, Uzoma Dozie, said the learning mobile programme is the future of education.

"Diamond Bank is investing in this programme as we realise and appreciate this initiative as the future of classroom learning which fits into our strategic roadmap as a leading financial institution," he said.

"We invite interested universities who want to positively change the face of learning within their campuses to use this as an opportunity to create a better and more sustainable learning environment for their students."

Also speaking at the ceremony, Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Brovo Kim, urged Nigerian universities to utilize the opportunity.

"We recognize and appreciate Diamond Bank's understanding of this vision and encourage Nigerian universities to take full advantage of it," Kim said.

Over 150 key decision makers from 50 invited private and public universities across Nigeria will be at the conference.

It will be recalled that Covenant University only recently launched a mobile learning technology to harness social media for learning among its students.